HISTORY

Cal Quidditch was founded in 2009 by Sean Robbins and Caroline Wurden with the intent of creating a place for students to enjoy playing the sport of Quidditch. The team started off small but grew quickly, with 25 active players halfway through the first year. Originally what started as “Quidditch League at Berkeley” eventually evolved into Cal Quidditch. Cal’s first tournament was The Big Sweep in 2010, modeled after the format of The Big Game, played against Stanford. Cal won 2 of the 3 matches against Stanford for a total final score of 230-60, setting a precedent for their winning ways. In spring of 2011, Cal traveled to Western Cup II and advanced to the semi-finals, their deepest run since, where they eventually fell to USC.

Western Cup 2011

Several years later, Robbins and Wurden led the team to the Sweet Sixteen at World Cup V (now known as US Quidditch Cup), held in New York City. Since then, the torch has been passed to captains Sal Sanchez, Nick Mertz, and Colin Hotson and the team’s internal chemistry evolved from a campus club to a tight-knit family.

Two years ago, captains Jake Stanton and Alex Idso revitalized the competitive nature of the club and took the club to a successful Western Cup and earned a bid to Nationals. At US Quidditch Cup 9 in Columbia, SC, Cal Quidditch qualified for Day 2, solidifying the competitive spirit of the team and marking the resurgence back to a nationally respected competitor.

US Quidditch Cup 9

Two years ago, Cal Quidditch rose to new heights under the leadership of captains Connor Hughes and Amanda Mosler, earning an early national ranking of 12th in the nation. By the end of the year, Cal Quidditch finished 19-7, its best record ever, including two tournament victories, and ending with another Day 2 bid at US Quidditch Cup 10. Learn more about Cal Quidditch’s 2016-2017 season.

Western Cup 2017

Last year, Cal Quidditch went even higher, winning the Western Regional Championship in Dublin, CA and advanced to the Elite Eight round at US Quidditch Cup 11. Read about Cal Quidditch’s historic 2017-2018 season.